Improvement in horse-detachers



M. R. 8L J. W. HULL.

Horse-Detabher.

Patented July 29,1879.

NPEIERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D c

UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW R. HULL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, AND JOHN W. HULL, OF ALQUINA,INDIANA; SAID J. IV. HULL ASSIGNOR TO SAID M. R. HULL.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-DETACHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,944, dated July 29,1879 application filed April 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MATTHEW R. HULL, ofCincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, and JOHN W.HULL, of Alquina, in the county of F a) ette and State of Indiana, haveinvenl ed certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Attachingand Detaching Horses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention may be applied to any kind of a wagon having shafts andits objeetis to provide an improved method of attaching the horsethereto so that he may be readily detached therefrom under ordinarycircumstances, and in case of danger from kicking, running away, or anyother cause, may be released by devices under the control of theoccupant.

The invention consists in the arrangement on the inner side of eachshaft of the attaching and detaching device shown in the drawings andhereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device in place on the right-sideshaft. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionthrough line 00 m, Fig. 1.

A represents an ordinary shaft, to which the improvement is secured atabout the point where the breeehing-strap is usually wrapped by means ofthe slotted box-plate B. i

O is a plate secured to the box-plate B so that it may slide in the slotthereof. The face of this sliding plate is provided with two studs, Dand I), to which sections of thetrace are attached, and also with alock-flange, d, on its upper edge. To the lower side of the slid- 4 ingplate is pivoted the leverE, which carries section used to connect thebreast-collar with the stud D, and the other to connect the stud D withthe whiffletree.

It is not necessary to remove the strap H when the horse is detached, itbeing designed 'to always be in position, and removable only for repairsor cleaning and instead of being held in position on the stud D by theguard F, that guard may be cut off and a nut or other fasteningsubstituted.

The whiftletree should be centrally pivoted in the usual manner, as thedraft is through it.

IVhen the horse is put within the shafts the device is thrown open, asshown in Fig. 1. The traces are then buttoned over the studs D, and thelever E drawn forward, so as to throw the device into the positionrepresented by dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which the guards F F cover thestuds D D and lock the trace, as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time thespring 0 (shown in Fig. 3) forces the plunger 0 into a recess in theflange 61, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and secures it,remaininglocked until force is applied to the lever E to unlock it.l/Vhen it is desired to detach the horse the lever E is drawn backward,which moves the upper end forward. The point of the wedge G enteringbetween the trace and the plate B, as it advances presses the trace offthe stud D; and when the traces are released from the studs it isobvious that there is no obstruction to the horse moving out of the.vshafts, as the breechin g is attached to the ends of the traces. It isalso obvious that this is a very expeditious mode of attaching anddetaching.

J is a cord connected to the lever E, and

passing along the shafts through guides to within reach of the occupant,or to a hand or foot lever in the vehicle, and it is obvious that theoccupant, by drawing on the cord, can instantly detach the horse.

An important feature of the invention is the provision for compensatingfor the natural movement of the body of the horse, as indicated by theoscillating movement of the single-tree, and to secure this ease ofdraft the slot in the shaft-plate B is made sufficiently long to allowthe sliding plate to reciprocate with the alternate side movement of thehorse; and to prevent noise and shock in case of the sliding platestriking at either end, rubber bumpers K K are provided.

The wedge detacher G may be dispensed with entirely, as it is obviousthe other detacher, Gr, might be, and yet the invention be useful forall purposes except releasing the 4. The pivoted lever E, having guardsor prongs F F, wedges G G, and spring plunger 0, in combination withplate 0, having studs D D and flange d, the whole operating to lock andrelease the trace, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 3d day ofApril, 1879.

MATT. n. HULL. JOHN W. HULL.

Witnesses :v

P. D. HARRIS, J. F. UPDEGRAFF.

